Why I'm here

I wrote this poem at my spot this week. It was inspired by the easter egg hunt that was going on while I was there. A little boy really said this to me... it was funny! And also good inspiration! I don't consider myself a poet but I gave it my best shot with this one. Thanks for reading! Enjoy.

"Mommy, that girl is running!
She's gonna get all the eggs!"
I hear as I jog to my spot along the waterfront
Looking up, I notice I'm in the middle of an easter egg hunt
And a little boy who sees an egg.
"Don't worry," I think, "I'm just here for the trees,
and the rocks,
and the waves crashing against them.
I'm here for the birds chirping in the red pine
and the squirrels scrounging for nuts beneath the oaks,
and the dirt,
and the moss,
and the old chimney that sits on the hill.
I'm here to see the sunset,
and the sunrise,
and everything in between.
I'm just here to think,
to gather my thoughts,
and let them go with the ever-present breeze.
I'm here to watch the people laughing,
the dogs barking,
the ducks paddling along,
and the feathers floating in the wind.
I'm here to observe the changes
and embrace them."
But I don't tell him this.
"I'm not here for the easter egg hunt," I tell him,
"Go ahead, you can have them."
The little boy, confused but satisfied, takes his egg and runs,
Leaving me to sit and realize
the difference between
why I'm not here
and why I am.

:-)

Green. Moss. Finally.

Above is my event map from my visit to Oak Ledge this week. I saw a ton of awesome stuff that screamed "spring!" It was really exciting to see green moss and rocks and waves crashing against the shore! Walking along the path, I saw feathers on the ground. I spotted flies swimming in the water (or floating on the surface, rather). I sat really still and tried to focus on moving things. I found a patch of bugs (maybe damsel flies) running around on the rocks. I saw a bird in a tree and a squirrel in another tree. The sun was setting over the Adirondacks, and the waves crashing provided the perfect soundtrack to a great day.

Looking at the maps of Burlington was very interesting. I couldn't tell much from the historic map, except that it looked like the plots of land were split off into farming settlements. I know that in the past, my spot was set up as a resort. The foundation of many of the bungalows are still there, including the steps to one. The chimneys are also still standing. It is very cool to think about all the history of Oak Ledge and my spot in particular. I know it is a popular spot that a lot of people enjoy, and its neat to think that someone 50 years ago, or even 200 years ago, could have been standing and enjoying the same places that I am now.

Here are a few pictures of my (much different looking!) spot:

No more snow! And lots of water!

Pretty rocks. (Monkton Quartzite!)

He is fly fishing. Hellllllo spring!

Bird (I wish I knew what kind!!)

Stairs foundation

Squirrel!

:-)

The sites of Lake Champlain!

This week, I had the opportunity to visit some of my classmates sites and see the world from their perspectives! It was really tough to pick which ones to visit, but I settled on John's site (Red Rocks) and Olivia/Alyssa's site (Burlington Waterfront). I chose these two because they are the closest to mine in that they are all are right up against Lake Champlain. It was great to be able to compare the three and see the differences and similarities in the landscape.

First things first, my own spot was a mess when I visited! I should have went this weekend when it was nice out; instead, I waited until today and trudged around in the rain. Needless to say, I didn't stay for long. There are definitely changes in the air though! The lake still has a thin layer of ice, but it is breaking up into small pieces. When I threw a rock at the ice, it actually went through, which shows how unsturdy it is becoming. The snow was pretty slushy but still walkable. This was actually the first time I visited my site that it wasn't sunny and blue skies! I guess I needed to see it from a different perspective at some point!

John's site of Red Rocks was also rainy. I love Red Rocks though so it was cool to be able to go back and see it because I hadn't seen it in a while! I walked down to the cliffs that people jump off of (no, I didn't jump) and was reminiscent of times spent there in the fall and summer! I think John's site will become even more beautiful as time goes on. And if I thought my site was a far walk... I was wrong!

The waterfront (Olivia and Alyssa's spot) was great as usual. I actually have been down there a of couple times in the past week! It was once again rainy when I went down last, so I didn't stay long. I ran down a few days ago though and was taken aback by how pretty it is! The waterfront is iconic to Burlington and I love going down there. Watching the sun set over the Adirondacks is one of my favorite things to do!

All in all, it was cool to see the similarities between the three places. The water looked about the same at all of them. In my spot, there was a little more ice on the lake. I think this is because Oak Ledge is situated in a bay, which gets less water movement and sunlight.

:-)